Game device



J. M. ROTH March 1, 1%38.

GAME DEVICE Fild Aug. 1 9, 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

NQK

ATTORNEY.

March 1, 1938. J ROTH 2,109,736

GAME DEV I CE Filed Aug. 19, 1935 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 54 v 95 I I ICiJQ "III I H F/Qat INVENTbR. JosEPHMPorH BY 0 ATTORNEY.

J. M. ROTH March 1, 1938.

GAME DEVI CE Filed Aug. 19, 1955 SSheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. JOsEPH /7 ROTH ATTORNEY.

Patented Mar. 1, 1938 UNITED STATES GAME DEVICE JosephM. Roth, Brooklyn, N. Y.

Application August 19, 1935, Serial No. 36,764

6 Claims.

This invention relates to amusement devices and in particular to a horse racing game which can be employed by a number of players in com petition to afi'ord pastime.

A particular object of my invention is to provide a game device of the character referred to, which is fool-proof in operation, cannot be tampered with so that cheating may be resorted to and one which provides a number of game pieces and means for operating the same so that the uncertainty of the outcome of the race is a factor in afiording the amusement,

A still further object of my invention is to use a plurality of horses or vehicles or other suitable elements which in accordance with the numbers obtained by operating the game pieces, will advance from a starting position gradually toward a finish line so that a Winner of the game is obtained. Further, the device comprises means whereby the first horse, which is the object used for illustration, reaching the finish position automatically causes the locking of the machine so that no further play can be made until a coin or token is inserted into the coin device of the machine to cause the automatic return of the horses to the start position.

A still further object is to provide novel mechanism for the carrying out of the features set forth, and including a coin handling device which serves to unlock the machine and make it ready for play.

Changes and variations may be made in the construction shown and described without departing from the principles of the invention or sacrificing its chief advantages; hence such invention is not to be confined to the precise structures shown in the drawings, in which;

Figure l is a plan view of a horse racing game constructed in accordance with my invention,

Figure 2 is a view in side elevation of the game as illustrated in Figure l, the covering employed thereon being shown in outline, and part of the view being in section to more clearly show the parts,

Figure 3 is a plan View of the game device with the base board removed to show the interior mechanism,

Figure 4 is an enlarged section taken on the line 4- 3 of Figure 3 showing the method of mounting the horse on the runways,

Figure 5 is an enlarged section taken on the line 55 of Figure 3 showing the mechanism for operating the horses to cause them to approach the finish line and part of the lock trip mechanism, 7

Figure 6 is an enlarged section taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 3 showing the return Weights and their associated parts,

Figure 7 is a fragmentary view in front elevation taken on. the line '!l of Figure 3 and 5 shows the means of locking the operating levers when a horse has reached the finish line,

Figure 8 is a view similar to Figure? but taken on the lines 8--8 of Figure 3 and illustrating the means used in unlocking the mechanism for play, '10

Figure 9 is an enlarged section taken on the line 99 of Figure 3 showing the construction of the cup or shaker used in holding dice or any suitable game pieces or indicators,

Figure 10 is an enlarged section taken through 315 one of the reels showing the construction thereof,

Figure 11 is an enlarged section taken on the line |ll| of Figure 3 showing the coin slide and trip mechanism controlled thereby, and, Figure 12 is a plan view in section taken on the line l2|2 of Figure 11.

Referring to the drawings in'detail, 5 indicates the rectangular body of the device which has a bottom 6 therein and a base board I. The body may or may not be provided with the supporting legs 8, and has a covering thereover as indicated in outline as at 9 for the purpose of preventing the horses H], which travel along the baseboard i, from being broken and the device from gettingcfull of dust. This covering may be of metal and glass as desired. The baseboard i is slotted as at II and ruled to provide zones from which it can be determined at a glance which horse is in the lead. These zones it may be numbered from 1 to 23 as shown, and the 3 line l3 may be of different color to denote the finish line.

The horses, and it is to be understood that any device that is suitable may be substituted for the horses, are made from sheet metal and are mounted on the upstanding portions M, which extend through the slots II. The lower ends of the portions l4, hereinafter referred to as track members, are turned as at I5 about the longitudinally extending track bars: I5 whichare arranged in sets of two and along each set of which travels one horse ID. The track members 54 are provided with front and rear pins i! and I8 respectively, to which is secured the cable l9 employed in moving the horses in either direction.

The track rods l6 are supported at their opposite ends in angle bars 20, 2| and 22, the latter being at the rear of the machine or adjacent the starting point of the race, at which point, the rods l6 are provided with the rubber bumpers 23. :55

The angle 22 (see Figure 6) has secured thereto the brackets 24 through which pass the shaft 25 upon which is mounted a pulley 26 for each cable l9. As the first horse to reach the finish line causes the game to be automatically locked, means, as will be hereinafter described, are employed for releasing the feeding means and the horses are quickly drawn back to the starting position by the dropping of weights 21.

These weights are arranged for vertical movement between the rods 28, the upper ends of which are secured in a suitable plate 29, and the lower ends of which are secured in a cylinder plate 36. The latter has depending therefrom, an open ended cylinder 3i which is secured as illustrated in the body of the device and is arranged to receive the plunger 32 so that as the weight 21 is permitted to fall, the plunger will ease the weight to a stop gradually without causing any slack in the cable and without a sudden stopping jar on the horses as they engage the bumpers 23. The cylinder 3| has its lower end closed. As'the horses are advanced forwardly by a mechanism to be described, the weights 2'! raise by the action of the cable I9 about the compound pulleys, one of which, 33 is secured to each weight, and the other of which, 34 is carried by the plate 29. This arrangement places a minimum amount of strain on the cable and requires a minimum amount of effort in manipulating the levers by which the game is played.

At the front of the machine, in which six horses are used, there is located a bank of keys numbered from one to six inclusive and indicated by the numeral 35, as well as a single key designated D and referred to by the numeral 36. In playing the game the horses being at the starting position, the lever or key 35 is depressed and released to raise the dice cup 31 to cause the dice 38 to change position. The cup 3'! consists of an inverted glass dome 39 held to the shaker 46 by the threaded collar 4|, the depending tubular portion 42 of the shaker fitting over the post'43 of the base member 44 on which the shaker is mounted. The portion 42 is flanged at its lower end and is pivoted as at 45 between the bifurcated ends 46 of the key lever 36 which is pivoted as at 41 in the angle strip 28. The pivot 45 extending between the forked legs 46 passes through a slot in the post 43, and at the upper end of this slot 48 there is provided a piece of rubber tubing which acts as a buffer when the cup is raised. When the cup drops, a soft rubber washer on the base 44 acts as a bumper for the flanged end of the portion 42, the washer being shown as at 49. These buffers cause the dice cup to jiggle and the dice or game pieces are well shaken to change position and it will be noted that they cannot be manipulated by the player for an advantage. The dice 38 are used only as an example. The cubes could have letters or numerals thereon and when for instance a 2, a 3 and a 6 are displayed by the dice, this means that the keys 2, 3 and 6 are to be depressed so that the horses bearing these numerals will be each advanced a predetermined distance by the mechanism to now be described.

The levers or keys 35 and their associated parts are similar and a description of one will sufiice. The lever 35 is pivoted as at 56 in the support bracket 5! of channel 2| and has passing therethrough a drum shaft 52 upon which the cable drums 53, ratchet wheels 54, and pawl levers 55 are journalled. A suitable slot 56 is provided in the lever 35 for the shaft 52 and to permit swinging movement of the key lever 35 when the same is depressed against the action of the spring 51. The ratchet is secured to the cable drum and, both as a unit are free to revolve on the shaft 52 between suitable spacers. The pawl lever 55 is provided with a pin 58 which extends into a suitable slot 59 in the lever 35 and near the center of rotation of said lever 55 so that as the lever 35 moves through its short arc, this movement is greatly multiplied at the outer end of the lever 55 and gives a maximum swing to the pawl 60 pivoted to lever 55 and urge-d into contact with the teeth of the ratchet wheel 54 by the spring 6|. As the lever 35 is depressed, and the pawl moves the cable drum to wind the cable in, so that the horse approaches the finish line, the detent 62 acts to prevent any retractile movement of the cable drum by its engagement with the teeth of the ratchet wheel. Across the front of the machine, I provide a lock plate 63 having pin and slot connection with a supporting plate 64. Both plates are slotted to permit operation of the levers 35 and lever 36 as the horses advance to the finish line, but as the pin I! of the first horse to finish line engages the trip lever 64, the latter is rocked and causes a rocking of the shaft 65, which carries one trip lever 64 for each horse, with the result that a rock lever 66 and its associated link 61 move a slide 68 adjacent the lock plate 63 until an opening 69 in said slide comes into register with a pin 10 attached to the slide and permits the spring H to move the slide so that the step 12 adjacent the slot is under the lever 36 and levers 35 in each instance and all the levers are accordingly prevented from operating. The movement of the plate 63 prevents any further movement of the parts until a coin or token is inserted in the coin device.

The coin device consists of the usual coin slide 13 in which a coin 14 is deposited to fill an opening so that as the slide is shoved in, its operation will be insured by the coin in preventing the dog 15 from dropping into the opening. The slide passing between the guide members '86, engages a spring plate 1! mounted for movement on the rods 18 against the action of the springs 19, which when sufficiently compressed move the spring plate 88 against the action of another spring 8| and its guide pin 82, to move the rods '18 rearwardly. The upper rod 18 is connected through the medium of the link 83 with the rock arm 84 secured to the shaft 85. This shaft is journalled in suitable bearings 86 on the angle plate 29 and carries a pawl and detent throw-off lever 81 for each ratchet wheel. The leg 83 of lever 81 engages the pawl 69 while the leg 89 thereof engages the end of the detent lever or arm 89 to simultaneously free the ratchet of the pawl and detent and permit the weight 21 to retract the horse by the unwinding movement of the drum 53. As the shaft is rocked, all the members 81 being secured thereto operate in unison and permit all the horses to be returned to the starting point quickly and without jarring.

In order that the levers 35 and lever 36 may be operated, the lower rod 18 carries a cam strip 99, see Figure 12, whose cam portion 9!, in passing through an opening 92 of an extension 93 moves the slide plate 63 to permit operation of the levers. The withdrawal of pin 16 from opening 69 in slide 68, lets the spring 94 reset the trip levers 64.

In connection with the winding drum for the cable which is flexible and of any suitable material, the periphery of the drum as indicated at 95 is thread grooved so that each convolution of the cable is separated from the next one and no catching or rubbing of the cable is possible. The drum is provided with an opening 95 in its periphery in which the end of the cable is fastened so that when the horses are at the start position,

which money collected can be stored in a coin I receptacle for collection at a later time, the receptacle as well as the operating parts of the macloine being readily accessible for adjustment or replacement.

My invention is not to be restricted to the precise details of construction shown since various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention or sacrificing the advantages derived from its use.

What I claim is:

1. In a race game device in combination a casing, tracks in the casing, figures simulating horses mounted on said tracks and movable from a start to a finish position, winding drums for advancing the figures, gravity operated weights for retracting the figures, a cable for connecting each figure with a drum and a weight, a finger lever for each figure, the selective operation of which is indicated by chance, a ratchet and pawl combination operatively connecting each finger lever with a drum whereby a figure is advanced by the drum upon each operation of an associated lever, a-plate underlying the levers and arranged to be moved to a position to prevent operation of the levers, and means in the path of each figure for engagement by the figure first reaching the finish position for moving said plate to lever locking position.

2. A race game device as set forth in claim 1 including a detent for engagement with each ratchet of the said ratchet and pawl comb-inations to prevent retractile movement of the drums, and a throw-01f member being adapted to be movable into position to engage and release the detents and pawls from the drums whereby the weights return the figures to the starting positions simultaneously.

3. In a race game device in combination a casing, tracks in the casing, figures mounted on said tracks and movable from a start to a finish position and return, winding drums for advancing the figures, gravity operated weights for retracting the figures, a cable connecting each figure with a. drum and a weight, a finger lever for each figure,

the selective operation of the levers being indicated by chance, a ratchet and pawl combination I operatively connecting each finger lever with a drum whereby a figure is advanced by the drum upon each operation of an associated lever, a.

plate underlying the levers and arranged to be moved to a position to engage and prevent operation of the levers, and means in thepathof each figure for engagement by the figure first reaching the finish position for moving said plate to lever engaging and locking position.

4. A race-game device as set forth in claim 3, having the finger leversand pawls independently pivoted, the pawls pivoting through an arc of shorter radius than the finger levers and a connection between said levers and pawls whereby the latter have a greater arcuate movement than said levers for imparting a maximum figure advancing movement to said drums;

5. In a race game device in combination a cas ing, tracks in the casing, figures simulating horses mounted for movement on said tracks between av start and a. finish position, a top boar-din the casing having longitudinal slots thereinthrough which said figures project, said board having lateral markings defining zones and a finish line, a cable secured toeach figure, a drum and a gravity weight to which the opposite ends. of each cable are attached for advance and retractile movement of the respective figure, a bank of finger key levers, a ratchet and pawl combination connecting each finger lever with a drum for operating the drums to advance the figures individually a predetermined distance with each stroke of thedev'ers, lockingmeans operable by the first figure to reach the finish line, said looking means including trip" levers operable by the figures and a plate operable by-said trip levers for engaging and locking the key levers to prevent further operation thereof, a detent for engagement with each drum to prevent retractile movement thereof, and a throw-01f lever for rendering said plate ineffective to lock the key levers and for freeing the detents and pawls, from. thedrums whereby the weights return the figures from finish to starting position. I

6. A device asset forth in claim 5, including a pulley system associated with each cable and weight and a cushioning device including! a plunger on each-Weight and a cylinder into which each plunger is movedfor bringing the weight gradually to a stop at the end of its figure retracting movement.

JOSEPH M. ROTH. 

